The Cheese Stands Alone

Th 5/30/24 645am (2-LB). 725am (1-B). 930am (1-LB). 1225pm (2-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 540am: Bright & sunny with temps to the upper 70's.  ***This month I have borrowed my limit at Hoopla and Kanopy. Watched 'RED RIGHT HAND' (Hoopla). A somewhat corny addition to the 'Violent American Hillbilly' genre and instead of moonshine, it's cooking drugs, Revenge, and "God, Family, and Survival". Lots of cartoon violence and not much else; with Orlando Bloom (LORD OF THE RINGS), and Adie MacDowell (GROUNDHOG DAY, SEX, LIES, AND VIDEOTAPE). Filmed in Campbellsburg and Louisville, Kentucky. Watched 'THE ENGINEER' (Netflix). Hijinks in Gaza. 'The Engineer' masterminds a suicide bombing attack on a bus in Israel and an American senator's daughter is killed. The senator hires mercenaries to exact revenge. Not quite as corny as the previous film, but close; with Emile Hirsch.  1140am: The PC is 'Off' and the plan is to do ...

 We 5/29/24- Roof Sweep: 8am/ Buddy Sick 1005am (2-LB). 1110am (1-B). 125pm (2-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 540am: Partly sunny with temps to mid 70's.  Watched more of 'THE UNKNOWN HITMAN: The Story of El Cholo Adrian' (Netflix).  I shut it down 18 minutes into episode #5.  805am- 940am:Preparing for the guy next door to come over and blow the leaves off of the roof. The leave guards have sunk on the old lady's side of the house. It doesn't look too bad and I'll wait to see how the draining goes before I call a contractor. Toriano (the guy next door is named after Tito Jackson, in the Jackson Five) said that he would do the job if I wanted.   I called Wedgewood and they will ship around 6/12. Watched 'HONEY BEE' (Tubi). A young prostitute adjusts to being 'in the life', gets caught and placed in foster care. She hates the straight life, yet finally comes around to a more conservative attitude. The film's message is banal and not beli...

 Tu 5/28/24 655am (2-LB). 730am (1-B). 1245pm (2-LB). 535pm (2-LB). 810pm (2-LB).  Up 555am: Sunny & breezy with temps to upper 70's. Watched 'COME TRUE' (Kanopy- borrowed yesterday). An eighteen year old girl has left her home (we never learn why) and enrolls in a sleep study program because she has nowhere to stay. Nothing in the plot can be accepted as real and it probably is all dream by someone who has been out of it for a couple of decades. Lots of dramatic tension, but only an adequate payoff, yet I liked it. 7 wins & 11 nominations; "68" Metascore and I would have rated it slightly higher; with Julia Sarah Stone ... "If you can read this you have been in a coma for 20 years..."- final shot of the film. Watched 'STATELESS' (Kanopy- only 1 credit left for May). A low budget documentary about a woman running for congress in the Dominican Republic. She is trying to address the problem of 200,000 Hatians who are without a country. Born...

 Mo 5/27/24 640 am (2-LB). 715am (1-B). 1225pm (2-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 540am: Partly sunny & breezy with temps to upper 70's. ***Buddy threw up last night on his bent blue plate. I cleaned it up and fed him around 3am and he seemed fine.  Watched 'INFINITY POOL' (Kanopy). While on vacation at a remote resort in a third world country, the man is involved in a vehicular manslaughter incident. The authorities give him the option of killing his 'double' or his own execution. A very odd film, filled with creepy characters, and disturbing images; with Alexander Skarsgard, and Mia Goth (PEARL, X).  Directed by Brandon Cronenberg, son of David Cronenberg. Filmed in Budapest, Hungary and Sibenik, Croatia. "72" Metascore and I would have rated it slightly higher.  Finished 'SUPER PUMPED: The Battle For Uber' (Netflix). Unfortunately, many people will see Travis as a hero because selfishness has gone mainstream. Travis is cut from the same...

 Su 5/26/24 710am (2-LB). 8am (1-B). 940am (1-LB). 1230pm (2-LB). 545pm (2-LB). 810pm (2-LB).  Up 540am: A rainy day with some strong storms and temps to mid 70's. [Only very light rain] Weekly Cleaning Watched 'RAGING GRACE' (Kanopy). A Filipino woman works cleaning houses and is in London on an expired visa. She needs some quick cash to solve her immigration problem and she also must keep her young daughter a secret from her employers. A strange movie with tons of atmosphere with a wild 'audio soundscape'. A Filipino/ English production; 6 wins & 10 nominations. "65" and I would have rated it slightly higher.   Watched 'FIRE MUSIC' (Kanopy). Eric Dolphy was a junkie for sugar. Ice cream and sweets comprised his total diet, yet he was completely unaware of his leathal diabetic condition. John Coltrane requested that Albert Ayler play at his funeral. "John Coltrane was the Father. I am The Holy Ghost"- quote from Albert Ayler... Sun R...

 Sa 5/25/24 650am (2-LB). 750am (1-B). 840am (1-B). 1155am (2-LB). 555pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  ***With all the thunder and lightning that we got yesterday evening, only a half inch of rain fell on Westview Drive.   The Corvette guy across the street was mowing his front lawn at 640am. It must have been an aesthetic emergency.  Up 550am: Mostly sunny with temps to upper 70's.  Watched 'IRENA'S VOW' (Kanopy).  Based on a true incident: Irena Gut Opdyke was a young Polish woman who became the housekeeper for a high ranking Nazi officer and was able to hide a group of Jews in the large mansion. The film is set in Tarnopol, Poland which is on the far eastern border of the country adjacent to Belarus. From the internet: "Tarnopol was founded in 1540 by the Polish governor, Grand Crown Hetman Jan Tarnowski. Jews settled there soon after its founding. In a privilege granted in 1550 and renewed in 1740, Jews were permitted to live in all sections of the town e...

Fr 5/24/24 715am (2-LB). 8am (1-B). 905 am (1-B). 12pm (2-LB). 125pm (1-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  ***Buddy was sick in the kitchen sometime last night.  Up 550am: Partly cloudy with thunderstorms predicted for later this afternoon and temps to 80. Wrote up 'FALCONER' by John Cheever for the blog. Watched 'RIPLEY'S GAME' (Hoopla). Tom Ripley convinces a framemaker who is dying of cancer to become a hitman so that he can leave his family a mountain of cash after he passes. Elegant skullduggery; with John Malkovich, Dougray Scott, Lena Headey, and Ray Winstone.   Filmed in the Veneto region in small towns about 45 miles northwest of Venice, Italy Finished 'WILD DISTRICT' (Netflix). The ex-guerrilla reconnects with his son and lover, and the female reformer wins the presidency, but she learns that the real source of power is not in government at all. Unfortunately, she's still only a pawn in the game. I wonder if there will be a season #3.  Watched a...

 Th 5/23/24 705am (2-LB).  755am (1-B). 1215pm (2-LB). 205pm (1-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 550am: Partly sunny with temps to about 80. ***Buddy was sick outside the bedroom door sometime after his 3am snack. He seemed fine later this morning and his appetite is still keen.  Watched 'MASTER GARDENER' (Hoopla). A man is a dedicated horticulturist working for a rich and arrogant woman. He has truly found his calling, but  when a new girl joins the gardening staff, he must reconnect with his Nazi past; with Joel Edgerton, Sigourney Weaver, and Quintessa Swindell. A very classy film! Directed by Paul Schrader.  Filmed at Rosedown Plantation in the West Feliciana Parish community of St. Francisville, LA.-34 miles northwest of Baton Rouge. Link to Rosedown Plantation site: https://www.lastateparks.com/historic-sites/rosedown-plantation-state-historic-site More 'WILD DISTRICT' (Netflix). Shut it down 30 minutes into episode #8. Dark political money overwh...

 We 5/22/24- 1st Time FitBit GPS 725am (2-LB). 805am (1-B). 955am (1-LB). 1210pm (2-LB). 545pm (2-LB). 810pm (2-LB).  Up 6am: A mix of sun & clouds and much cooler with temps only to mid 70's. Wrote up 'TOTAL CONTROL' by David Baldacci for the blog. Watched 'TWO FACES OF JANUARY' (Hoopla). An American couple visit Greece and meet a helpful travel guide. The husband is a con artist and he and his wife are running from mob debt collectors. The guide tries to help, but soon is in over his head. Halfway through the film I thought it reminded me of something Patricia Highsmith might have written, and I was correct; with Viggo Mortensen, Kirsten Dunst, and Oscar Isaac. "66" Metascore and I would have rated it slightly higher.  Began 'VERSAILLES' (Tubi). The sound was messed up and it sounded like a wire was not properly connected. I gave up. Tubi also has the '30 second' fast forward/ Rewind. That is far too long and I thought they had change...

Tu 5/21/24 705am (2-LB). 735am (1-B). 820am (1-B). 1210pm (2-LB). 545pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 555am: A mix of sun & clouds, windy with temps to about 90. Thunderstorms predicted for late this afternoon and tonight. {It looked very bad around 9pm, but the storms missed Westview completely} Watched 'VANILLA SKY' (Hoopla). I had forgotten how good this was.  It's no masterpiece, but still well worth a look. A shiftless playboy has inherited unimaginable wealth but his lady problems are his undoing. One girlfriend drove her car off of a bridge while he was her passenger. They both die, yet he begins his journey with 'Life Extension'. A couple of different realities play out and they are all reasonably compelling; with Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Kurt Russell, Jason Lee, Timothy Spall, Tilda Swinton, and Michael Shannon. Directed by Cameron Crowe.  Nominated for 1 Oscar; 5 wins & 34 nominations. "45" Metascore and I would have rated it ...

Mo 5/20/24- Mowed Lawn 710am (2-LB). 740am (1-B). 415pm (2-LB). 545pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 605am: Partly cloudy & humid with temps to mid 80's.  Watched 'THE COURIER' (Netflix). A street kid becomes a courier in an international money laundering operation, and within a short time he's running the outfit. Spanish hoods were stealing tax money to prop up the housing market and then laundering the loot and depositing the clean cash in Switzerland. This is based on a real series of events that tanked the Spanish economy and slashed programs that are vital to those who most need it. A classy film and well worth a look; with Aron Piper, Maria Pedraza, and Luis Tosar.   Wrote a short chat about the arrival of the Fitbit. Watched the first episode of 'CRIMINAL: France' (Netflix). A woman insists that she was present during a terrorist attack at a nightclub. She claims that she met her boyfriend at the club, but she wasn't there. She was having an affair wit...

 Su 5/19/24- FitBit Arrived  740 am (2-LB).  820am (1-B). 1235pm (2-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 820pm (2-LB).  Up 620am: A mix of sun & clouds with temps to 90. Hottest day of the season....so far. Weekly Cleaning Watched 'THE HOLDOVERS' (Amazon Prime). A very conservative teacher at an elite private boarding school is left in charge of several students who can't go home for the winter holidays.  Set in 1971 and not as hokey as it sounds; with Paul Giamatti, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, and Dominic Sessa. Directed by Alexander Payne (CITIZEN RUTH). Won 1 Oscar; 134 wins & 197 nominations. "82" Metascore.    Watched 'CAUGHT: The Ice Chest Murder (48") (Amazon Prime). A prominent and well-connected lawyer in Delaware murders his mistress and has his brother help him drop her body out to sea. The brother with the boat is given immunity for his testimony against his brother.  1145am: PC is 'Off' and the plan is to do the weights (I skipped yesterday) and ...

Sa 5/18/24- Library Book Sale/ Gummy  640am (2-LB). 710am (1-B). 920am (1-LB). [1015am- 1 gummy]. 1250pm (2-LB). 3pm (1-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 810pm (2-LB).  Up 545am: Mostly sunny with temps to mid 80's. I was going to begin 'THE 8 SHOW' (Netflix), but decided to watch a movie before the book sale.  'MONSTER' (Netflix). A girl and her brother are kidnapped by a creepy guy. She escapes but comes back to help her brother. Only an hour and 24 minutes; No dialogue and filmed in West Sumatra, Indonesia. It was like choices in a video game and the tension over what comes next was electric.  Watched the first 20 minutes of 'THE 8 SHOW' (Netflix). A man becomes part of a mysterious game show. I'm in the dark, too. 855am: PC is 'Off' and preparing for a Saturday morning downtown. 930am: To Book Sale; parked near 8th & Edwards. *** Downtown was packed. The Art Fair, Farmers Market, and the book sale were all combined. I heard the mayor (on a stage) mentio...

 Fr 5/17/24 735am (2-LB).  820am (1-B). 935am (1-B). 1130am (2-LB). 350pm (1-LB). 535pm (2-LB). 810pm (2-LB).  Up 630 am: Partly sunny with temps to about 80 ***There was a prompt for a 'restart' and that took ten soul destroying minutes. I thought Windows had stopped the dreaded 'Windows Updates'? Watched 'THE BOOK OF CLARENCE' (Netflix). A high-budget Afrocentric look at Jesus and his mission as 'the son of god'. The Apostle Thomas has a twin brother, Clarence and Clarence is a low-level weed dealer who has fallen out of favor and tries to 'convert to Jesus' to score points with his boss. Nice locations, but the story was corny and not nearly insightful enough; with LaKeith Stanfield, David Oyelowo, Alfre Woodard, James McAvoy, and Benedict Cumberbatch. Filmed in Matera, Italy. "57" Metascore and I would have rated it slightly lower.  1050am:  The PC is 'Off' and the plan is to hit Esporta a little earlier than usual. Big day ...

 Th 5/16/24 715am (2-LB). 8am (1-B). 9am (1-B). 1235pm (2-LB). 220pm (1-LB). 545pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 615am: Cloudy & breezy with a chance of showers with temps to about 70. Watched 'INSIDE THE YELLOW COCOON SHELL' (Kanopy). A young man learns that his sister in law has died in a motorcycle accident and he is to take the body and the woman's five year old son back to their home in the countryside. Strange, slow, dream-like, haunting with beautiful images, but I don't know what it meant and it was too long by nearly an hour. 5 wins & 16 nominations. "94" Metascore and I would have rated it significantly lower. (Around 1030am they must have had problems at Kanopy because the whole website was down for about ten minutes)  Allmusic was inexplicably down at 630pm, then back on by 730pm {I was on the 'down' site and it said they were having problems}. When I tried to get on Nextdoor.com around 730pm, it was also down. I noticed that it was bac...

 We 5/15/24- 1st Diet Smoke Gummy 715am (2-LB). 815am (1-B). 1035am (1-B). 1255pm (1-LB). 550pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  ***At 7am I took one half of '4/20 Reserve INDICA' Diet Smoke gummy. I plan to take the other half in about an hour. This is some strong stuff, so I want to see how it rolls*** Half a dose does pack a punch. Flying by 815am. 9am I took the other half. ***The best gummy experience of all time. Diet Smoke is truly mind altering and 200 mg is about the right dose.  Up 6am: Partly cloudy with temps to mid 70's.  Watched 'ADAGIO' (Netflix). A complex story about a young man who is forced to go undercover for the cops. He escapes with dirt on powerful figures and everyone wants him dead. And, while the story unfolds, the city of Rome is on fire and random power blackouts occur frequently. Not nearly as dopey as it sounds. 3 wins & 5 nominations. "64" Metascore.  Watched 'JACK L. WARNER: The Last Mogul' (Amazon Prime).  From the begin...

 Tu 5/14/24- Ordered FitBit 750am (2-LB). 835am (1-B). 1015am (1-B). 12pm (2-LB). 145pm (1-LB). 545pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 620am: Overcast and random light showers with temps to upper 60's.  ***Buddy threw up clear liquid just outside the bedroom door as I was getting out of bed. Watched 'STOLEN' (Netflix).  The indigenous minority wants to continue in the Old Ways and the powerful majority want Burger Kings and Walmarts. Nice shots of reindeer herds and fancy snowmobile action. Great costumes. Filmed in Sweden and concerns the plight of 'Laplanders', or 'Sami' people who live in the northern parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. Finished 'COOKING UP MURDER: Uncovering The Story of Cesar Roman' (Netflix). The guy is textbook narcissistic psychopath, but I'm sure that a lot of the public see him as a hero. I don't know who is more sick.  1130am: PC is 'Off' and I plan to get on the treadmill a little early.  12pm: FIVE MIL...

Mo 5/13/24 655am (2-LB). 750am (1-B). 9am (1-LB). 1135am (1-LB). 1255pm (2-LB).  235pm (1-LB). 445pm (2-LB). 810pm (2-LB).  Up 545am: Rain beginning late this morning with temps to just over 70 and rain continuing through Tuesday. [It didn't rain until late afternoon (brief cloudburst 410pm)] Watched '22 JULY' (Netflix). The attacks occurred on July 22, 2011 in downtown Oslo and Utoya Island which is about 25 miles to the northeast of the capital city. 77 were killed and the deadliest incident on Norwegian soil since World War II.   More of 'COOKING UP MURDER: Uncovering The Story of Cesar Roman' (Netflix). I shut it down 30 minutes into episode #1. 1120am: PC is 'Off' and the plan is to drive to County Market for more flowers (and cat litter/ gas can) and get them in the pot before the rain begins.  1145am: To County Market...4 sections of flowers (I should have bought more), cat litter & I filled the gas can.  WARNING beeps on the way home...It was ...

Su 5/12/24 740am (2-LB). 820am (1-B). 1250pm (2-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 610am: Mostly sunny and breezy with temps to just over 80. ***Workmen arrived at 730am with the wooden panels for the security fence next door, then they left and reappeared a little before 9am.  This morning I noticed that the 'red' light on the router has returned, but no discernible difference in performance...so, fuck it.   Weekly Cleaning The 'new' neighbors across the street began mowing their lawn about 10am. Some of the weeds were a foot tall yet they have the mower set for a ridiculously low cut. The lawn isn't 'trimmed', it's 'scalped'.   Watched 'ROGUE AGENT' (Kanopy).  The film begins as an MI5 agent recruits several students to infiltrate a clandestine IRA group from making bombs. It's all a scam and the MI5 agent is a phony and he's just shaking down women for large amounts of cash. A very different kind of film and I loved it. ...

 Sa 5/11/24 730am (2-LB). 810am (1-B). 1230pm (2-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 630am: Bright & sunny with temps to mid 70's.   Work on the security fence next door began just after 8am. I noticed the workmen were no longer on the job by 1030am. This is strictly a 'Chuck &  Truck' operation and they showed up again late in the afternoon.  Watched 'GOLDSTONE' (Plex TV).  A naive white cop joins a mixed race detective to stop a human trafficking ring in the desolate Australian Outback. A 'slow burn' of a 'buddy cop' film and well worth a look for the locations at the very least.  Complaints With Plex:  There is no 'fast forward' on Plex and settings are confusing. Far too many commercials: 'Illinois: In The Middle of Everything'; 'Call Julie Before You Dig'; 'Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers' (I didn't even know they had one in Springfield, but it's out by White Oaks).  ***I tried to sign up with ...

 Fr 5/10/24- Mowed Lawn/ Buddy Sick  735am (2-LB). 815am (1-B). 1220pm (2-LB). 205pm (1-LB). 535pm (2-B). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 620am: Partly cloudy with temps to upper 60's. Watched 'A MAP OF THE WORLD' (Amazon Prime).  A woman lives with her husband and two young daughters on a small dairy farm in Wisconsin. The children are a handful and their family life is slightly chaotic. When a two year old drowns in their pond, mom is forever changed. Things shift from bad to worse after she is accused of child abuse at her job as the local school nurse. It's a wild and wooly ride although the film might have followed too many changes in emotional direction; Sigourney Weaver, Julianne Moore, David Strathairn, Chloe Sevigny, and Louise Fletcher. 3 wins & 6 nominations. "66" Metascore and I would have rated it just slightly higher. Set in Wisconsin and shot in Toronto, Canada and some exterior shots in Chicago.  ***Around 1045am I noticed two chipper trucks from Asplund...

 Th 5/9/24 705am (2-LB). 745am (1-B). 820am (1-B). 1215pm (2-LB). 545pm (LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 6am: Cloudy, breezy & much cooler with temps to upper 60's.   Watched 'THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS' (Netflix). Not in the mood...I deleted it from the queue.  Watched 'EVEN MONEY' (Amazon Prime). It wasn't that the film was so 'bad' it was 'good', but more like it was so 'dumb' it was 'smart'. Some of the dialogue was so corny and implausible, that it became clever. Two storylines: A gambling addict has his younger brother 'shave points' in college basketball, and a female gambling addict loses her family's nest egg on the slots. And, there's also a washed up magician. Top heavy with 'B-Level' acting talent; with Kim Basinger, Forest Whitaker, Kelsey Grammer, Ray Liotta, Jay Mohr, Tim Roth, Danny DeVito, and Carla Gugino. "34" Metascore. From New York Daily News:"Nothing in the movie rings true, l...

We 5/8/24- Buddy Sick 7am (2-LB). 750am (1-B). 835am (1-B). 1255pm (2-LB). 240pm (1-LB). 535pm (2-LB). 820pm (2-LB).  Up 550am: Cloudy with periods of light rain in the afternoon & evening with temps to very low 70's [Early this morning the projected high was 80. The warm front must have passed us by] Watched 'MY HAPPY FAMILY' (Kanopy). A married woman decides to leave her chaotic and claustrophobic family and get an apartment (and a life!) of her own.  Bits were hilarious, insightful and very well written. Set in the country of Georgia.   Began 'A MAN IN FULL' (Netflix). A real estate mogul from Atlanta learns that he has borrowed much more than he can repay and his life begins to unwind. I realized that this was based on the novel by Thomas Wolfe as the credits rolled at the end of the first episode.  I shut it down 27 minutes into episode #3. ***Buddy was sick in front of the living room couch as I borrowed 'THE LAST GENTLEMAN' by WALKER PERCY from Ho...

 Tu 5/7/24 655am (2-LB). 740am (1-B). 840am (1-B). 1255pm (2-LB). 230pm (1-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 810pm (2-LB).  Up 545am: A huge thunderstorm as I was getting up and a tornado watch in effect until 8am. Rain and storms possible until early afternoon with temps to the upper 70's. Watched 'THE JUDGE' (Netflix). A judge is arrested for a hit and run fatality. He was accused of intentionally running over a man that he had let out of prison on an early release. Upon gaining his freedom, the man murdered the woman he was accused of assaulting from his original trial. The disgraced son is the judge's defense counsel at the murder trial. Kind of corny, yet top heavy with acting talent; with Robert Downey Jr. Robert Duvall, Vera Farmiga, Billy Bob Thornton, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jeremy Strong, and Dax Shepard. The film was set in Indiana {a single cornfield was filmed in Jackson County, Indiana}, but the rest of the film was shot in Shelburne Falls and Buckland, Massachusetts. Nom...

 Mo 5/6/24- Buddy Sick  720am (2-LB). 810am (1-B). 1025am (1-LB). 120pm (2-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 610am: Showers later this morning and then cloudy with temps to mid 70's.  Watch 'LOW DOWN' (Kanopy).  A gritty portrait of jazz pianist Joe Albany, his struggle with addiction and how his  young daughter dealt with their chaotic family life; with John Hawkes, Elle Fanning, Glenn Close, Peter Dinklage, Flea, Caleb Landry Jones, and Taryn Manning (ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK). 2 wins & 3 nominations. "58" Metascore. It's very grim and gritty, but I would have rated it higher.  His daughter, Amy Albany wrote the screenplay.    Wrote a 'Happy {early} Birthday' Chat Began 'DELIVER ME' (Netflix). Two young boys are involved in a Swedish drug gang as apprenticed 'runners'. One boy takes the fall for the murder of his friend because the drug boss threatened him. The series is about how these complicated relationships came to be. Film...

Su 5/5/24- Buddy Sick Twice 720am (2-LB). 8am (1-B). 905am (1-B). 1220pm (2-LB). 440pm (2-LB). 715pm (2-LB).  Up 540am: A mix of sun & clouds with temps to low 70's.  Weekly Cleaning Watched 'SILENT HILL' (Netflix- leaving soon). Lost interest at 30 minutes. A sixties styled horror picture with lots of CGI demons and imps. Not in the mood.  Finished 'FURIES' (Netflix). It became far too confusing, and the ending was a complete let down. "Damocles has become Olympus".  Began 'CRIMINAL SPAIN' (Netflix). Each episode is a different interrogation at the Madrid police headquarters. I watched the first two, and I'm not quite sold, but will continue this evening. {I just noticed that there are only three in the series...Odd} 1140am: PC is 'Off' and the plan is to do the weights and then hit Esporta. After the workout I'll get more vitamins at the Supplement Store.  Weights: 3 sets/ 15 reps. 1235pm: To Esporta...45"Precor,  45...

 Sa 5/4/24 705am (2-LB). 750am (1-B). 1155am (2-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 6am: Partly cloudy with temps to about 80 and thunderstorms predicted for later this afternoon. I had to download updates for the DVD player, but it worked perfectly.  Watched 'SHADOWLANDS' {DVD from Janny}'.  A very romantic film about a reclusive and introverted Oxford professor who finds romantic love with a woman who is very different from what he has come to expect. The film is not so much about 'true love', but the description of a singular kind of relationship. Two unique and very different people who learn that they are the perfect complement to each other; Anthony Hopkins & Debra Winger. Nominated for 2 Oscars; 7 wins & 14 nominations..."We read to feel that we are not alone". Although Debra Winger did a great job, I was not convinced with her affected 'NYC accent'. Why didn't they find a real 'New Yawker'? ***Fun Facts: Lewis raised Jo...

 Fr 5/3/24- County Market groceries:  $126/ Buddy Sick 705am (2-LB). 745am (1-B). 1140am (2-LB). 140pm (2-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 6am:  Mostly cloudy with temps to mid 70's.  'THE TWO FACES OF JANUARY', the movie that I borrowed from Hoopla, was set to 'leave' in an hour, but I got it. Later when I tried to watch  'THE TWO FACES OF JANUARY' (Hoopla), it had  'returned' before I could start it. I wonder if it would have 'returned' if  it timed out during the film.  Watched 'DARK WATERS' (Netflix). The saga of 'The lawyer that Dupont hated'. Teflon was first used as a water repellant on tanks. It's from a carbon based molecular structure that cannot be broken down by the human body; with Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins, Bill Pullman, and Mare Winningham. Directed by Todd Haynes. "73" Metascore.     Watched 'IDIOCRACY' (Tubi- leaving soon). I shut it down about half way through the film...

Th 5/2/24- Tom's Plumbing: 8am-10am. 720am (1/2-LB). 1010am (2-LB). [New Batch, same as the old: SHINE Indica]. 1225pm (2-LB). 545pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  ***I want the water heater drained and the battery changed on the sump pump. They will use the water from the water heater to run through the pump to make sure that it is working. The pump was installed when the system was added in 2019. I bought a new replacement battery from Rexx on Clear Lake for $102 on Mo 4/30/24. Up 610am: A mix of sun & clouds and a chance for storms late this afternoon with temps to mid 80's and much cooler tomorrow. Finished 'THE ASUNTA CASE' (Netflix). I'm not 100% sure that the parents killed their daughter, but I'm certainly more than half convinced. It's surprising that the mother would leave so much damaging evidence if she committed the murder because she was a practising attorney. However, she was suffering from many physical and mental conditions that might explain wh...

 We 5/1/24 750am (2-LB). 840am (1-B). 1050am (1-LB). 1245pm (2-LB). 240pm (1-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 820pm (2-LB).  Up 630am {a very restless night after 3am} Partly cloudy with temps to upper 70's.  Wrote up 'THE DARK HOURS' by Michael Connelly for the blog. ***Republic picked up the trash at 905am. That's two hours earlier than usual. Maybe this explains the texts that tell you to put out the can the night before.  Watched 'MONOLITH' (Hoopla). A woman doing a podcast in rural Australia uncovers a conspiracy about a 'black brick'. It might be a personal attempt to contact individuals from a superior force in the universe or it could be a warning from aliens that 'something bad is going to happen'. Just like yesterday's film (SPEAK NO EVIL) in that it sucked you in and never let go. I had no idea where both films were heading and they were very compelling. Lily Sullivan was nearly the only actor in the film. "61" Metascore. From Variety:...

 Tu 4/30/24- Mowed Lawn  720am (2-LB). 820am (1-B). 1010am (2-LB). 1255pm (1-LB). 2pm (1-LB). 540pm (2-LB). 815pm (2-LB).  Up 615am: Bright & sunny with temps to about 80.  ***Around 830am a truck & chipper from Asplundh pulled up in front of the 'new' people's house across the street. Soon another truck with a chipper parked directly across the street. Thankfully they are cutting beneath the lines on the other side of the street.  Watched 'SPEAK NO EVIL' (Hoopla). Great use of music as counterpoint to the storyline;  a peaceful bucolic seascape with slow and mournful music brings a feeling of dread or unease. While on vacation in Tuscany a Danish couple and their young daughter meet a couple from Holland with a young son. The film is a cautionary tale about the dangers of going to see people that you have met on vacation. This one kept you guessing until the very end. It was very creepy and I'm surprised that it is not rated higher. {The film has b...